Doubts hit State Government’s funding for Ten Days on the Island Festival

People enjoy THEGOODFUNTIMEINFLATABLELOUNGE during last year’s Ten Days on the Island.Source: News Limited

THE State Government’s election commitment to halve the funding of arts festival Ten Days is in question over claims $5 million in funds must be allocated for the 2015 and 2017 events under a legally binding deed.

Government grants totalling $2.5 million over two years for each of the festivals are likely to be given the go ahead under an agreement signed off on by the previous Labor-Green government.

Ten Days executive director Marcus Barker
said he understood the next two festivals would proceed as planned.

“We have been in positive talks with the arts minister and the Premier, where possible, about where we can grow and expand. We have discussed what Ten Days may look like into the future,” he said.

“Ten Days pioneered arts festivals in Tasmania. When it started back in 2001 we didn’t have Festival of Voices, MONA FOMA, Dark MOFO, Junction Arts Festival or any of the other events now running.

“All these festivals have their place and all contribute something different.”

Mr Barker said Ten Days was not solely reliant on government funding.

“We raised an almost equal amount of funding with corporate funding, philanthropic donors, local council and box office sales to complement the State Government contribution.”

Former governor and Ten Days and TMAG chairman Sir Guy Green said the festival was unique.

“Ten Days is Australia’s only statewide multi-arts festival,” he said.

KPMG research from the 2013 festival showed the $2.5 million provided returned an economic impact of $27.25 million.

Comments on this story

Lynda Morris of Huon Posted at 10:12 AM August 10, 2014

It is all very well saying that around $2 million transmogrifies to around $27 million "profit" for the state - but what was the ACTUAL amount of support for the Ten Days, if you take in the private, philanthropic, commercial etc support money? That surely changes the "government only" funding, so it must change the amount of "profit"? I keep looking at the Ten Days program, and hoping to see something worth going to see - something that will not be full of snoring husbands dragged along by social-climbing wives, or sung/spoken in an obscure language without surtitles, or some act added to the list "because they are doing an Australian tour" and Tas has been conned into adding to the performers' publicity - but every year I throw the program into the Recycle bin and hope for better things next time. Not like it used to be, indeed!

David johns of Teatree Posted at 3:04 PM August 09, 2014

Time to stop the bread and circus mentality in tasmania and cut unsustainable taxpayer subsidies to the"festival industry".Put the money to real skills training,youth education,minor infrastructure etc,and the returns will tenfold,both financially and socialy.Studies into footy,festivals,art galleries and gourmet subsidy returns,continue to be challenged by economic activity andemployment stastistics year after year.Seems to me as these things have grown so has unemployment and the cost of living to tasmanians.
My small business has survived 30years,never recieving a taxpayer subsidy or bailout.Surely it is fair and resonable to expect a level playing field and stop the massive drain on the public purse to pursue the party lifestyle?

Robin Charles Halton of North Hobart Posted at 11:15 AM August 09, 2014

I would question 10 Days too, the State is in a budgetery crisis, something has to give way,10 days, Baroque, Dark Mofo, AFL at Bellerive Oval, V8 super cars , Targa, TMAG, Taste of Tasmania, Wooden Boats, Royal Hobart Show, Port Arthur Historic Site! I am not suggesting a major shift into an era of deculturisation but in light of Tasmania's other attractions being natural but it is readily available to all and sundry eg ,Bay of Fires, Freycinet, Maria island, Cradle St Clair, and West Coast attractions for which the taxpayer contributes anyway. A day of reckoning is required especially where acts need to be imported from overseas or other states with the help of well paid consultants, contractors and sub contractors and masters of political and cultural manipulation of the so called "growth industry" of arts and culture.